Switchback-coaster.



S. DAGDSTINO.

SWITGHBAOK GOASTER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.18, 191a.

Patented May 26, 1914 3 SHEETS-8HEET 1 71M & M a t ATTORNEY w W Q n. m W1 V 1 NWE W WITNESSES M X. QW-

S. DAGOSTINO.

SWITOHBAOK GOASTER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG 18, 1913.

COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH CO WASHiNGTON D. Q

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Patented May 26, 1914.

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5 I g I EV], //////////A ///A A TTORNEY S. DAGOSTINO.

SWITGHBAGK GOASTER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.18, 1913.

1,097,615. P en edMyZS, 1914-.

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ATTORNEY SALVATORE IDAGOSTINO, OF PHILADELPHIA, FENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCHBACY-COASTER-.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 18, 1913.

Patented May 26, 1914.

Serial No. 785,346.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern Be it known that l, SALVATORE DAcos- Tine, acitizen or the United States, residing at the city of Philadelphia, inthe county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and useful improvements in Switchback-Coasters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

ll" y invention has relation to a pleasure railway tor amusement parks,seaside resorts, etc, and in such connection it relates particularly tothe arrangement of the same of elevating the cars by power to a summitso as then to permit the car to see-saw back and forth over undulatingcurvilinear substantially straight courses to the starting point foranother trip, the car shifting a switch oi. each plane automatically tochange in returning over an adjacent course to gradual lower planes insequence by gravity through momentum accumulated in descent to carry thecar to near the terminal of each course, to impart a quick accelerationto the car for its return movement over another course of the series ofthe said structure, after passing the switch and setting automaticallythe traclrway for such descent, until the final terminal point isreached, for starting the car on another trip.

The nature and scope of my present invention will be more fullyunderstood from the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings form ing part hereof, in which,

Figure 1, is a diagrammatic plan view of a structure, embodying mainfeatures, in arrangement, of my present invention, showing a carelevated to a summit of the structure, for it then, to sec-saw back andforth by gravity to the terminus of the structure for another trip. Fig.2, is a top or plan view oi the structure, indicating by the arrows theimpelling of a car to the summit and the travel then of the same bygravity back and forth over the series of courses to the terminal point,for another trip. Fig. 3, is a side elevational view in broken sectionof the structure, showing the motive power arranged. for elevating a carto the summit of the structure; Fig. 4:, is a longitudinal centralsection through a car adapted for use on such a defined pleasurerailway. Fig. 5, is a vertical sectional view of the car on the line 5,5, of Fig. 4. Fig. 6, is an enlarged top or plan view of one of the endsummits ot the series of courses of said structure, showing theautomatic switch device thereat, controlled by the trackwheels of thecar; Fig. 7, is a side elevational view or one of said end summits ofthe series of the said structure. Fig. 8, is a vertical secti n througha portion of the structure, showing the car in position engaging tlatrails and with side rollers on the car for engaging guide boards ot thestructmre on both sides of the said car to prevent derailment thereof;and Fig. 9, is a side elevational view in detail, of the springcontrolled device connected with the tongue of each switch-device, forretracting said tongue, when moved by the car wheels.

referring to the drawings, tie superstructure A, consists of aninclining course a from the starting point at a plane a, and providedwith preferably iron or other tracks a and (4 Fig. 8. The incliningcourse (6 between the starting point a, and summit a has arrangedbetween the tracks, a power impelling sprocket-chain mechanism b, forengaging and elevating a car C, to the said summit a, whereatautomatically the said car is released from the sprocket chain Z), byrelease of the projecting device 0, of the car, Figs. 1 and 5, to thuspermit the car to descend by gravity accelerated along an inclinedstructure a to near the terminal (4 thereof, passing through a switch(Z, in which after passing the same, by means of coil springs (Z and (Kthe -frog or tongue (Z of said switch, is retracted to a position inwhich the car by gravity from the energy quickly accelerated in mountingthe said incline a descends then and passes by the shifted switch-deviceonto another course c of the structure adjacent to that of the incomingcourse a from the summit a to thus then see-saw back and forth oversucceeding series of courses of the super-structure at lower planes withre spect to each other, until the terminal point of the structure A, isreached which is adjacent to and in substantially the same Plane withthe said starting point a, at which the car is again impelled along theinclining course ca to the summit a on another trip.

The tongue (Z of the switch (Z, has two rods al and (Z connectedtherewith and with the coiled springs (Z and (Z which latter arefastened to the road-bed of the structure, whereby, when the flange ofthe carwheel has caused the tongue (Z of the switch (Z, to be shifted,the coiled springs (Z and (Z of the rods (Z and (Z connected with thesaid tongue will draw the tongue against the trackrail, thusautomatically permitting the car to be shifted onto an outgoing coursefrom that in which the car came into the section a, of the structure andthe same action as above taking place at the opposite end of the coursea, and so on until finally the car has see-sawed back and forth over theseries of courses of the structure to the terminal point (a of thestructure A. Near the terminal point a of the structure are arrangedpreferably between the tracks or rails of the bed, a well known type offriction device a, operable preferably manually or automatically, toretard the speed of the incoming car over the final course of thestructure to the terminus of the said structure A, as will be readilyunderstood.

The car C, particularly adapted for use on a structure of the characterdefined, is provided with seats 0 and 0 arranged back to back and with acentral projection or back 0 as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The car isprovided with gripping devices 0 and 0 as clearly illustrated in Figs. 4and 5, as a protection to persons seated in the cars. The car is alsoprovided on the sides at the front and back with friction rolls 0 and 0Figs. 4 and 5. The traclrwheels are preferably flat faced flanged wheels0 and 0 Figs. 5 and 8, to travel with as little friction as possible,over the flat iron or similar rails 64 and (4 of the superstructure andwith an automatic grip or projecting device 0, located underneath thecar at the back thereof, Figs. 5 and 8, for engaging the sprocket-chainb, of the power impelling mechanism B, of the structure arranged aboutthe inclining portion a to the summit a thereof, as clearly illustratedin Figs. 1 and 3, of the drawings.

Having thus particularly described the nature and objects of my saidinvention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. A switch-back coaster, consisting of a series of courses unitingeach other in differ ing planes to form upturned single terminals toimpart quick acceleration to the car for its return movements over othercourses, and an automatic switch at such junction of said terminals withsaid courses and actuated by said car.

2. A switch-back coaster, consisting of a series of courses uniting eachother in diifering planes to form upturned single terminals to impartquick acceleration to the car for its return movements over othercourses, an automatic switch at each junction of said terminals withsaid courses and actuated by said car, one of said courses from thestarting point at a ground level formed into an inclining elevation to asummit and directly connecting with one of said terminals and meansarranged along said inclining elevation to said summit for mechanicallyelevating said car to said summit.

3. A switch-back coaster, consisting of a series of courses uniting eachother in differing planes to form upturned single terminals to impartquick acceleration to the car for its return movements over othercourses and an automatic switch at each junction of said terminals withsaid courses and actuated by said car provided with means to preventderailment thereof.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my signature in the presence ofthe two subscribing witnesses hereto.

SALVATORE DAGOSTINO.

Witnesses THOMAS M. SMITH, HELEN S. HOLT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

